2008 Malegaon case: Bombay HC grants bail to Sadhvi Pragya

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today granted bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Takhur but denied any relief to co-accused former Lt Col Prasad Purohit in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

“The appeal filed by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is allowed. The applicant (Sadhvi) is directed to be released on bail on a surety of Rs 5 lakh. The appeal filed by Prasad Purohit stands dismissed,” said a division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi.

The court directed Sadhvi Pragya to surrender her passport to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

It also directed her not to tamper with the evidence and to report to NIA court as and when required.

“We have said in our order that prima facie there is no case made out against Sadhvi,” Justice More said while refusing to stay today’s order.

Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit accused of involvement in Malegaon bomb blast happened on the eve of Navaratri in Malegaon in which eight persons were killed and nearly 80 others were injured when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle had exploded in Malegaon on September 29, 2008.

Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit were arrested in 2008 and are in jail since then.

The court was hearing the appeals filed by Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit challenging an earlier order of a special court rejecting their bail pleas.